The Wendigo

By Julie DiNisioQuailBellMagazine.com

Illustration from Matt Fox's Famous Fantastic Mysteries (1944)

There are a surprising number of mythical creatures associated with North America, but not surprisingly, many stem from Native American beliefs and folklore. One of the more famous examples, the Wendigo comes from the mythology of the Algonquian people. This former human turned cannibalistic creature is commonly represented in the contemporary horror genre. Though not all agree on its physical aspects, the Cree, Ojibwe, and other northern tribes agreed that it was supernatural, malevolent, craved human flesh, and could possess humans, especially those who indulged in cannibalism. It was also always portrayed as starving because every time it ate a human, it would grow in proportion to how much it had just consumed. Thus, it was never satisfied. The myth of the Wendigo acted to prevent cannibalism (especially during times of food shortage) and just greed and over-consumption in general.

Today, the Wendigo name lends itself to a disorder: Wendigo psychosis. Those suffering experience an insatiable craving for human flesh, despite the availability of food. No worries though, this mental disorder was most common within Algonquian tribes prior to their urbanization. And supposedly, it only afflicts those who have consumed human flesh in the past. Wendigo psychosis also involves an intense fear of turning into a cannibal. So those Native Americans who recognized the symptoms in themselves often requested to be executed before they could inflict harm on those around them. Though it's uncommon today, Wendigo psychosis is still cited as one of the strangest and most terrifying mental problems. But quite frankly, the myth of the Wendigo is both culturally taboo and hair-raising, making the disorder's name choice a fitting one.